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Lukashenka says that he urged Russia, Kazakhstan to drop WTO entry bids

 

Alyaksandr Lukashenka revealed on Tuesday that he had suggested that Russia and Kazakhstan drop their bids to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and opt for the creation of their own free trade body together with Belarus instead.

While talking to a group of visiting Russian reporters in Minsk, the Belarusian leader said that he had made the proposal after the countries had tried unsuccessfully for years to join the global trade body. "We were kicked [out]," he said. "The WTO is a political rather than economic organization, you know who kicked us and did their utmost to disconnect us and tear us apart."

According to Mr. Lukashenka, his proposal met with opposition from the Russian government. While Vladimir Putin used to say that Russia's WTO entry should take a back seat to the establishment of the Customs Union and Common Economic Zone with Belarus and Kazakhstan, other Russian government officials spoke to the contrary.

"I warned [Putin], 'Make sure that you don't dump us later. You would join the WTO and we would be left with our own interests.' What has happened now? It's up to you to judge," Mr. Lukashenka said, referring to Russia's recent accession to the WTO. // BelaPAN